Mass. among states with most adults who binge drink

Associated PressIn this Tuesday, June 29, 2004 file photo, a bartender serves two mugs of beer at a tavern in Montpelier, Vt. College-age drinkers average nine drinks when they get drunk, government health officials said Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012.

Calling it a “bigger problem than previously thought,” the federal government on Tuesday released new data on binge drinking, defined as consuming four or more alcoholic beverages for women and five or more drinks for men on an occasion.

The data places Massachusetts among about a dozen states with the highest percentage of adult binge drinkers. Among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention findings in its report: more than 38 million U.S. adults binge drink an average of four times a month and the most drinks they consume on average is eight; binge drinking is more common among those with household incomes of $75,000 or more; and while binge drinking is common among those between 18 and 34, those 65 and older who report binge drinking do so more often, an average of five to six times a month.

According to the CDC, drinking too much, including binge drinking, causes more than 80,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, making it the third leading preventable cause of death. In a statement, federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrator Pamela Hyde said binge drinking by adults “has a huge public health impact, and influences the drinking behavior of underage youth by the example it sets.”

The report does not specify the period of time over which beverages are consumed to be considered binge drinking and CDC officials did not respond to requests for clarification.